Minnesota Prairie Roots

WITH THE CALENDAR flipped to April, the greening of the grey is subtly emerging in Minnesota as the season shifts from winter to spring.

The Turtle Pond at River Bend Nature Center.

Nesting pond along the entry to River Bend Nature Center.

Wisps of buds. Greening in the pond and woods. Skies and water so incredibly blue you wonder if your winter weary eyes are fooling you.

A frog camouflaged in the Turtle Pond.

The banks of the Straight River proved a popular spot Saturday afternoon. The woman in the purple is wearing a t-shirt with this message: “Leave me alone. I’m only speaking to my dog today.”

Frogs making more noise than raucous children on a playground. Geese nesting. River flowing.

Saturday’s weather proved perfect for motorized and non-motorized bking.

I almost cried when I met this trio of walkers as I thought of my mom and wished I could guide her on a walk through the woods.

Two teens parked their bikes trailside to explore the waterfall.

Give us Minnesotans a nice day of warmth and sunshine, like that on Saturday, and we, too, emerge from our homes to celebrate this changing of the seasons.

My husband, oldest daughter and granddaughter walking through River Bend Sunday afternoon.

My husband and I were among the throngs of visitors hiking at River Bend Nature Center in Faribault during Saturday’s respite warmth. We returned Sunday with our eldest daughter and her daughter. By then conditions had changed from sunny to cloudy with a brisk wind and much lower temps. The weather required stocking caps and winter coats (for the oldsters) unlike the sweatshirts of the previous day. Few others were out and about.

If not for Randy’s sharp eye, we may have stepped on this toad (or is it a frog?) sitting on a trail Saturday afternoon.

Another immobile amphibian sitting in the parking lot Sunday afternoon.

Even the frogs, a deafening chorus on Saturday, were quiet in Sunday’s cold. The toads hunched immobile.

Blue skies reflected Saturday afternoon in the nesting pond for geese.

As a Minnesotan, I understand how weather can change, just like that. So I accept each warm and sunny day as a gift.

Rustic signs mark trails at River Bend Nature Center.

TELL ME: Are there signs of spring where you live? Please share.

© Copyright 2017 Audrey Kletscher Helbling